Al-Ahsa's kitchen rests on the bounty of the oasis: local Hasawi rice, date syrup, lime and cracked wheat — giving rise to warm dishes handed down the tables generation after generation.
Al-Ahsa's most famous dish: local long-grain Hasawi rice cooked with meat or chicken, tomato and spices (dried lime, cinnamon, cardamom) until it takes on its reddish-brown colour and rich flavour. A staple of celebrations and hospitality.
Spiced rice with slow-cooked chicken or meat prepared in the mandi style until tender and infused with flavour, garnished with vegetables — a beloved dish on Hasawi tables.
Cracked wheat simmered with meat for long hours until the two blend into a smooth, creamy texture, served hot with ghee. A blessed dish, especially common in Ramadan and at feasts.
A traditional Hasawi dish of cracked wheat (jareesh) cooked with spices and dried lime, then garnished with dates and boiled eggs — a hearty plate gathering the flavours of the oasis.
Fine vermicelli fried and sweetened, scented with cardamom and saffron, served with an egg omelette and almonds — here with Hasawi date syrup. A heritage breakfast marrying sweet and savoury.
A thick cooked flour paste with a well of date syrup (dibs) and ghee poured into its centre. A warm winter sweet eaten by hand.
A famous Hasawi sweet of sago starch cooked with date syrup, cardamom and saffron into a glossy, jelly-like texture, garnished with walnuts and pistachios.
A local bread kneaded or filled with date paste and sprinkled with black seed (nigella), uniting good bread with the sweetness of dates. Served with Arabic coffee.
The descriptions here introduce the traditional dishes and their well-known ingredients rather than exact recipes; measures and names vary from one household and region to the next.